About thee-quarters of the way through the job of
restoring a San José church more than 100 years old, Nelson
Araya Barboza took time to show reporters around Thursday. The detail
is spectacular and the work is impressive. And you can visit and see
for yourself.

A weak to moderate El Niño is now likely, persisting into early
next year, according to the latest United Nations forecast. The weather
pattern periodically disrupts the Pacific area with consequences that
can range from increased rainfall and floods in the United States and
Peru to drought and brush fires in Australia.

But the UN World Meteorological Organization warned against trying to
predict any possible impact at this early stage from the phenomenon,
which is caused in part by a warming of the waters of the tropical
Pacific and its effect on the trade winds.

“Climate patterns across the equatorial Pacific over the last one to
two months have developed a notable tendency toward El Niño
conditions,” the meteorological agency said in its update bulletin,
although it cautioned that at this stage there is a small possibility
that it might not materialize.

“However, it may be noted that El Niño conditions, once
established at this time of the year, almost always persist until early
the following year,” the agency added.

It called for additional caution, in view of the

evolving situation, in
forecasting the impact in those regions typically affected by El Niño,
with the situation expected to become clearer in the next month or two.

It noted that although sea-surface temperatures are not yet at
uniformly warm levels typical of El Niño across the whole central and
eastern equatorial Pacific, conditions in the eastern equatorial
Pacific close to the South American coast became warm toward the end of
July.

During August, oceanic and atmospheric patterns in the central and
western equatorial Pacific also began to resemble conditions typical of
an early stage of El Niño. In the central equatorial Pacific, surface
temperatures became more than one degree Celsius warmer than normal,
while at the same time there was a weakening of the trade winds.

It is very likely that sea-surface temperatures in the central and
eastern equatorial Pacific will in general be warmer than normal
through the remainder of the year and into early 2007, the bulletin
said.

“The development of a basin-wide El Niño event is considered likely
based on expert interpretation of the prevailing situation and the
general consistency of forecast models,” it added.

Costa Ricans paid about $145 million in bribes during the last five
years in carrying out day-to-day activities, according to a Universidad
de Costa Rica survey.

The survey, done by the Escuela de Matemática, is the first to
put a price on corruption. The bribes represent 450,000 separate acts,
according to Dr. Jorge Poltronieri Vargas, coordinator of the Proyecto
de Investigación Estructuras de la Opinión Pública.

The bulk of the bribes were paid in the public sector, according to the
survey. The amount paid was inferred from the results of the survey of
1,000 Costa Rican residents in 47 cantons and 93 districts of the
country.

Poltronieri said that the survey results covered day-to-day corruption,
such as bribes to doctors to obtain service at public clinics and
hospitals. Bribes also were paid to obtain a driver's license or a
passport.

Others reported paying bribes to get their vehicles through the
revisión técnica mandatory inspection, to obtain
pensions, to pass through customs controls, to obtain construction
permits or to compete judicial procedures.

Not counted in the survey were the big bribes, those paid by
contractors during the bidding process for a public job or for gifts
given to get a concession.

Other types of day-to-day bribes that were counted included payments to
physicians to be declared incapacitated, payments to redeem cars
from the judicial depository, to avoid traffic tickets or even to get
the television cable hooked up, said the professor.

Poltronieri noted that Costa Rica still has a lower incident of
corruption than public opinion polls show in countries like Paraguay
and Péru but said the situation is alarming nevertheless.

Public opinion also showed a contradiction. Poltronieri said that
the public thinks that the Poder Judicial, the Asamblea Legislative and
the executive branch should take the lead in fighting corruption. But
the public also thought that these were corrupt institutions, he
said.

The professor's solution was to create a country with a culture against
corruption, but he warned that private citizens are corrupt when they
photocopy a book, buy a pirated CD, copy a school exam, pass through a
red light or evade taxes.

The survey used a questionnaire provided by Transparency International
and took place between June 3 and 12.

Port of Moín reported normal
after quick police takeover

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

As expected, Fuerza Pública officers dressed for a riot took
over
the cargo port of Moín on the Caribbean early Thursday,
but there was no violence.

The entry of the police ended the slowdown that tied up the port since
Monday. Workers are seeking a pledge from the government not to
privatize the port operations. More reaction from the union members is
expected over the weekend.

Óscar Arias Sánchez made a surprise television appearance
at 8 p.m. Thursday in which he said the Provincia of Limón in
which the port is located is a big contradiction.

There is no region of the country better situated to integrate itself
into the world economy, he said.

"However, the poverty, the unemployment and the violence continue being
part of the daily life of the Limoneses. Limón is not a poor
province. It is a squandered province."

Arias said that life in Limón cannot be improved if the port
facilities were not improved. And he said that the port belongs to all
the people not to the union dock workers.

At least in the short run the port was working normally. Dock workers
who were conducting the slowdown were loading about two containers an
hour before the police takeover. Government officials said that 500
containers were loaded Thursday morning and the backup of waiting
trucks was cleared. One cargo ship had left port and another was about
to, they said.

Police detained only one person, according to Fernando Berrocal, the
minister of Gobernación, Policía y Seguridad
Pública. He spoke in San José.

Meanwhile the union members conducted a motorcade through Limón
trying to generate support. There were some strained moments between
union members and San José television crews.

The port is run by the Junta de Administración Portuaria y
Desarrollo de la Vertiente Atlántica. a government agency.

Casa Presidencial said the loss due to the worker slowdown was more
than $1 million a day and involved many small- and medium-size
producers. The principal exports are bananas, pineapples and other
perishable agricultural products.

Danilo Román of Dole said that one of its ships could not load
250,000 boxes of bananas resulting in a loss to the company of $1.5
million, according to Casa Presidencial. The government lost money,
too, because there is a 7 U.S. cent tax on each $6 box of bananas that
is shipped.

Assassin in Playa Potrero
shoots trial witness in back

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

A gunman killed a Playa Potrero man in an ambush at the man's home late
Wednesday.

The Judicial Investigating Organization said that the man, Juan Moreno
Vasquez, 41, got out of his vehicle about 11:45 p.m. Wednesday and
began to open the metal bars protecting his home. That's when someone
began firing. They put four slugs into the man's back.

Although investigators said they had no motive, informal sources said
that Moreno was a witness in a criminal case being tried in nearby
Santa Cruz.

In another murder on the Nicoya Peninsula, a 28-year-old woman with the
last name of Villagra died when someone stabbed her three times in the
neck about 5 a.m. Thursday at her home in San Pedro de Nandayure.

Agents said a man was found nearby with an apparent self-inflicted
knife wound to his own neck. He was taken to the Hospital de Nicoya.

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Where one bell used to be is vacant now because the wooden
supports rotted.

Nelson Araya Barboza of Vasari Restauración S.A. shows
off a hanging weight that is part of the church's bell system.

A.M. Costa Rica photos by
Saray Ramírez Vindas

Church interior is outlined in gold

It's
taking four years to restore La Merced church to glory

By the A.M.
Costa Rica staff

A team of seven experts has spent the last three years restoring the
Iglesia de la Merced, and they still have nearly a year to go.

The Iglesia de La Merced is more than 100 years old and stands above
Parque de la Merced between avenidas 2 and 4.

The outside is not impressive. The exterior will not be painted until
December, and the Municipalidad de San José has not started work
on the grounds. But inside the church restoration is nearly complete,
and it is stunning.

The four massive wooden support columns and 36 steel posts direct the
eyes to the main altar and the 10 stained glass windows.

Nelson Araya Barboza is in charge of the restoration, and he proudly
points out that each window contains 15 panels. Each window was removed
and redone with matching imported glass, if necessary. Eight of the
towering windows contain images of saints. But two behind the altar
contain a 13th century scene showing the Virgen de la Merced appearing
to Jaime I, king of Aragon.

This manifestation of the Virgin Mary is now the patroness of
Barcelona, and the story is set in the time when Christians and Moors
battled for control of Spain.

As a result of the 1218 vision, the king founded a knighthood
with the goal of redeeming or ransoming Christians from Moorish
slavery. The king is known as "the Conqueror" from his military
exploits.

The Middle ages notwithstanding, the concept of Christian mercy
embodied in the legend has a more generalized application now. And each
day a few of the faithful are on

their knees among the dust of restoration
seeking private counsel.

Each of the supporting posts
in the nave
are done in Florentine style with a multi-colored stencil, as was the
original finish in the church. Araya was trained at the University of
Costa Rica as as classical painter and graduated to restoration
beginning with work on the Teatro Nacional.

The church interior glitters with what appears to be gold leaf. But the
product used is a false gold that will last longer, Araya said. His
team also replaced most of the floor tiles, making sure to be true to
the original Florentine design.

On the walls, the workers have used
the
4,000-year-old technique known as Venetian stucco. With coloring,
plaster, elbow grease and skill they create a surface that is identical
to marble.

Still to go on the interior is restoration of the 14 figures of the
Stations of the Cross and reconstruction of the church's pipe organ.
Araya won't tackle the organ. He said that is the job for an expert
from Spain. The metal pipes are fine but termites have savaged the
wooden interior windchests.

An irony is that the $1 million restoration job is being done in a
church that has few parishioners, notes Araya. Barrio La Merced has
changed from a mix of residences and small shops to mostly commercial.
This is the area where the Alajuela bus stations are found along busy
Avenida 2.

Much of the money is coming from Cervercería de Costa Rica, the
beer company.

The church is open during the day for prayer and for touring.
Entry is from the south gate on Avenida 4.

From the drama to the fiesta, talk turns to the Ugly American

This past weekend the
Little
Theatre Group presented its latest production, “Come Back to the Five
and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.” And two dear friends
celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary. I attended both
doings.

The only “come back” play I had heard of was “Come Back, Little Sheba,”
so all of this was new to me. The play turned out to be another
gathering of southern women, but this time none is made of steel.
All of them are vulnerable in one way or another, each with her own
secret. So I can’t tell you much about the plot except that they
have gathered in the local five and dime of a small Texas town to
celebrate the 20th anniversary of the only event that ever almost put
their town on the map: the nearby filming of “Giant” and the arrival of
James Dean. Mona, played by Dale Watson, is convinced that James
Dean is the father of the son she conceived during that time. The
others are there more to support and humor her than because they are
loyal Dean fans. The comic relief of the drama is Sissy, with her
wisecracking, truth-telling irrepressibility, played by Sally
O’Boyle. I would say that Sally was born Sissy, except that
before coming to Costa Rica, she was a busy, talented actress in Key
West.

The play is running weekends through Oct. 8. You can call
355-1623 for reservations.

Sunday I gave up the tail end of my political shows in the morning to
go to Guacima to join in the celebration of Lenny and Joan’s tenth
anniversary party. Lenny Karpman obviously had given up more than
a Sunday morning to plan for it because he single-handedly prepared all
of the food for over 100 guests. There were 26 different
dishes for us to choose from (and some took one of everything), plus
one, Lenny told me – bacon wrapped water chestnuts – that was not put
out! I can’t even go into enumerating them, but I loved the ham
and the red cabbage with raisins, and some herring that I had.

Dr. Lenny is coming out with a new book, “Noni, Baloney, Puddin’
& Pie,” which is the rather unsophisticated title for a witty,
informative and exhaustive compendium of the foods and dishes of the

countries he and Joan have visited. It is practically an
encyclopedia of definitions of exotic foods, some with recipes, for the
first time under one cover, I am sure.

Sometimes my empathy faculty kicks in too strongly. This time I
looked
at all the dishes and imagined myself preparing them, and just thinking
about it, I was almost as tired as Lenny had to be.

I met an American woman who, upon hearing that I had written a
book,
said that she would like to write one entitled, “Why Americans Hate
Themselves.” I tried to argue that they don’t. She insisted
that they
do because the rest of the world hates them. Again I argued that
the
world does not hate the American people, although many object to the
foreign policies carried out by the current administration.

I managed to rest up by Wednesday in order to enjoy another of our very
important gatherings of the perros calientes club (we even have a
secret password now). Everything was particularly delicious this
time
– there are new hot dogs in the stores: Zar’s “salsicha ahumada con
tocineta,” (smoked hot dog with bacon). It is definitely
not in the
health food section of the store. But tasty!

We had a spirited discussion on the subject of whether or not North
Americans are hated by the rest of the world. The Ticas in our
club
insisted they are not. They agreed – some people definitely do
not
like our foreign policies, but this is not a blanket animosity.

I thought about the women in “Come Back to the Five and Dime..” The
disillusioned Mona, her loyal and generous friends and spunky
Sissy.
They certainly represent the American people. Why would anyone
hate
them?

The hairy reality of the zebra tarantula,
so called because of the white lines on the legs.

Tico
tarantula spins web with its legs, too, scientists find

By the
University of California at Irving communications staff

Costa Rican tarantulas have helped scientists make a breakthrough with
profound implications as to why spiders began to spin silk during their
evolution.

Researchers have found for the first time that tarantulas can produce
silk from their feet as well as their spinnerets, something that had
not been known.

Adam Summers, a University of California at Irvine assistant professor
of ecology and evolutionary biology, was among the team of scientists
who made the discovery. The researchers used zebra tarantulas
(Aphonopelma seemani) from Costa Rica. The team found that the
tarantulas secrete silk from spigots on their legs, allowing them to
better cling to surfaces. Until now, spiders were only known to spin
silk from spinnerets located on their abdomen and to use the silk to
form webs for protection and to capture prey rather than for locomotion.

The findings are published in the current issue of Nature.

“If we find that other spiders in addition to these tarantulas have the
ability to secrete silk from their feet, this could represent a major
change in our evolutionary hypothesis regarding spider silk,” Summers
said. “It could mean that

silk production actually originated in the feet
to increase traction, with the diversity of spinneret silk evolving
later.”

The researchers placed
tarantulas on a
vertical glass surface. Though ground dwelling, these spiders can
normally hang on to vertical surfaces by using thousands of hairs and
small claws. However, the scientists noticed that when the spider
started to slip down the surface, it produced silk from all four pairs
of legs, allowing it to adhere to the glass for more than 20 minutes.
The silk secretions were clearly visible on the glass. Using scanning
electron microscopy, the scientists also were able to see the openings
on the legs that resemble the silk-producing spigots on spider
abdominal spinnerets.

The next step, according to Summers, is to investigate whether the silk
produced by the feet is the same as that produced by the spinneret.
Many spiders can produce seven different kinds of silk. Scientists will
look at the genes involved in silk production from the feet, compare
them to the gene family that leads to spinneret silk production, and be
able to better determine whether silk was originally used for traction,
or whether that was a secondary usage that came later.

The zebra tarantula is a standard offering at biological supply
houses, and that is where Summers said the team got the ones in the
study.

Ecuadorian
front-runner takes a jab at George Bush

By the A.M.
Costa Rica wire services

The front-runner in Ecuador's presidential race has joined his leftist
ally — Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez — in criticizing U.S. President
George Bush.

The candidate, Rafael Correa, voiced the criticism on Ecuadorean
television Wednesday. He accused the U.S. president of doing great
damage to the United States and to the world.

Last week Venezuelan
President Hugo Chávez
spoke before

the United Nations General Assembly and
referred to Bush
as "the devil." His remarks drew widespread condemnation in the United
States but some applause in the U.N. audience.

Correa referred to Chavez's remarks in his televised speech Wednesday
but added that "to call Mr. Bush the devil is an insult to the
Devil."
There was no immediate reaction from Washington.

Polls indicate that Correa will get the most votes in the Oct. 15
election for president of Ecuador, although he could face a runoff if
he fails to win a majority.

Colombian
president clears towns of military to prepare for hostage swap

By the A.M.
Costa Rica wire services

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has agreed to withdraw troops from two
towns in southern Colombia to negotiate a prisoner swap with the
country's largest rebel group.

Mediator Alvaro Leyva told reporters Thursday that Uribe agreed to a
proposal to withdraw from the towns of Florida and Pradera to create a
meeting point for negotiations. He did not say when the withdrawal
would start.

The Fuerzas Armadas Revolutionarias de Colombia has

proposed exchanging more than 50 key
hostages for hundreds of rebel fighters held by the Colombian
government. The rebel hostages include former presidential candidate
Ingrid Betancourt and three U.S. nationals.

Sunday, the rebels released video of 12 lawmakers they have been
holding hostage since 2002.

Colombia has been mired in a 42-year civil war involving leftist
rebels, government troops, and government-aligned paramilitaries. The
conflict leaves thousands of civilians dead each year

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